Tiny Kitten With Big Heart Finally Finds Love After Almost Being Put Down Twice

It's hard to imagine that anybody could say "no" to this sweet little face. But teeny TomKat (who, despite his small size, liked to eat so much that the shelter named him "Piglet") was returned to Philadelphia Animal Control by at least two different fosters before the right fur-mom came forward.

"He was time-stamped not once, but twice," Colby Rosenberg—the foster mom who finally saved TomKat—tells HiHomer. "Meaning if nobody stepped up to the plate to commit to being his full-time foster, he would be put to sleep.

"I saw his picture on the Philadelphia Urgent list and knew I had to do something."

The wee foundling—first spotted wandering alone in north Philadelphia without a mom-cat or litter mates—was only 3 weeks old in October of 2016, when Colby brought him home. Having spent so much of his short life without proper care, he needed a lot of attention before he could recover his health.

"He was undernourished and should have still been on a bottle. I had to mash kitten food and formula and feed him every 2 to 4 hours. He would stand in the food as he was not sure what to do, so I would put it on my fingers for him and feed him that way."

"The first few days were rocky," recalls Colby."There were times I wasn't sure he'd make it.But he had so much love and so much fight in him.He wouldn't give up, so I didn't give up either."

With the demands of her full-time job, Colby knew she'd need an extra set of hands to give TomKat the round-the-clock care he needed—so she called in a friend. "I refer to my friend Jenn as 'the kitten whisperer,' as she has saved probably over a hundred. Jenn's an emergency room veterinary nurse by trade. She agreed to help me take on TomKat."

Under their joint care, TomKat grew and blossomed.

Eventually, TomKat was hale and healthy enough to find a forever home. A friend of Colby's, who'd recently lost his beloved cat of 14 years, saw Colby's pictures of TomKat and fell in love.

Today, the 4-month-old kitten is happy and loved in the home of his forever dad—one who would never dream of returning him to the shelter simply because he needs the attention and loving care every kitty deserves.

Colby, who still keeps in touch with her former foster baby, reports, that "he's a feisty, sweet, and smart boy!"

It just goes to show that a little love—and lots of teamwork—can make miracles in the life of a rescue cat.